_To Mr. R――――._
_London, Dec. 22, 1752._
_My very dear Friend_,
WITH great pleasure I received your kind and wished-for letter;
and heartily bless GOD that your whole self is in such comfortable
circumstances, and that honest _D――――_ is so blest in his work. I read
his two letters about ten days ago, and many joined in singing for him
the following verses:
_The isles in the North,_
_Remember, O GOD,_
_And feed thy sheep there,_
_With pure gospel food_.
_LORD, revive thy blest work_
_In every place,_
_Till thousands and thousands_
_Do triumph through grace._
Do you not think the blessed JESUS will say, _Amen_? Yes, assuredly he
will. And if he will work, who shall hinder?
_Thoughts are vain against the LORD,_
_All subserve his mighty word;_
_Wheels encircling wheels shall run,_
_Each in course to bring it on._
Fear not, my dear Sir; if CHRIST hath work for you to do, he will put
you into a proper station. But would you be a _Nehemiah_, and have no
_Sanballat_ to oppose you? Building the walls of the _New-Jerusalem_,
is what the profane and formalists do not approve of. We must expect
the serpent will hiss, whenever the gospel seed of the woman is coming
into a place to bruise his head. Courage, my dear Sir, courage. GOD is
on your side.
_The world, with sin and Satan,_
_In vain our march opposes;_
_Through CHRIST we shall_
_Break through them all,_
_And sing the song of |Moses|._
You see, my dear Sir, how freely I write. The love of CHRIST
constraineth me. I am much indebted to you, and hope to see you in
_London_ soon. My wife longs to have you under our roof: she hath
been ill, but blessed be GOD is now better. We both send cordial and
grateful respects to your whole self and all enquiring friends. We
have had most solemn sacramental occasions. I sympathize with both our
suffering friends: from what unexpected quarters do troubles come! Who
would sing a requiem to himself, whilst here below? LORD GOD, prepare
us for whatever thou hast prepared for us! I must bid you farewel. A
variety of business obliges me to hasten to subscribe myself,
Yours, &c.
_G. W._